“Why don't you call me sometime when you have no class ...

FRESH CREAM! SEPTEMBER 2006 NEWSLETTER
JON-DAVID HEADRICK SELECTIONS – Charlotte, NC
People: Jon-David Headrick
Website: http://www.jondavidwines.com
Focus: Naturally farmed Loire and Grower Champagne
Brands Represented by Cream: Champagne Francoise Bedel et Fils, Champagne Franck Pascal, Champagne Tarlant, Domaine
Benedicte de Rycke, Domaine Damien Laureau, Domaine de la Noblaie, Domaine des Huards, Domaine des Roches Neuves,
Domaine Frederic Mabileau, Domaine Laurent Chatenay, Domaine Vincent Ogereau, Domaine Saint Nicolas, Domaine du Viking,
Jean-Francois Merieau, La Craie, La Tour St. Martin, Le Paradou
Cream Wine Company is thrilled to represent the properties of Jon-David Headrick Selections. When we asked
Jon-David contribute some portfolio ‘kick off text’, he wrote: “Standing in a rocky, chalk-covered vineyard in Sancerre
a few years ago, I listened as a winegrower friend talked about the current state of wine. “Fruit in a wine is
easy”, he said. “Purity is elusive. Purity comes from the struggle of the vine through the rocks it is planted on, the
fight against every other plant in the vineyard vying for the same water and nutrients, and no interference from
man. Leave fruit for beginners. You should look for purity.”
As an American who was also wine drinker, it took some time for this concept to sink in. We are used to drinkingwine
that is described by writers as “gobs of juicy raspberry fruit” or “dense spicy blackberry”. These appeal toour
opulent, hedonistic side. But after a while, I wanted something more and started seeking out wines that matched
the description of my winemaker friend. What I found was that this is more easily achieved in areas where the vine
has to struggle with climatic conditions that are not ideal (less sun, for starters) and made by people who allow the
vine to grow naturally with little or no intervention. In creating this portfolio, I was looking for these kinds of
wines, and I found them planted on a massive swath of chalk and slate that runs from the Atlantic ocean through
the Loire river valley and into Champagne. I call this rocky band that stretches for about 600 kilometers “The
Chalk Line”. Started in 2003, my portfolio of small wineries from Northern France focuses on this chalk line and
currently includes 15 properties from the Loire and 5 growers from Champagne. In Champagne, I work only with
growers, never negociants. I’m only interested in people who grow and bottle their own wines. This approach allows
for more place specificity. The purity that I mentioned earlier is completely obliterated by blending various
parcels from vastly different winegrowing areas, so I look for growers who vinify and bottle by parcel and who use
extremely low dosages. Many of the Champagnes I work with have no dosage added (called in French “Brut
Zero”). No dosage simply means that you taste only what is in the vineyard.
In the Loire, I have taken a Burgundian approach and am assembling a portfolio that represents a comprehensive
look at the valley, not just the known categories such as Sancerre and Muscadet. Growing regions such as the Fiefs
Vendéens and Jasnieres, seldom seen here in the United States, figure prominently in my book. With Chenin
Blanc, in particular, I have sought out examples of the varietal planted on a variety of soil types from chalk, slate,
sand, gravel, silex, etc. in an attempt to show what an amazing varietal the grape is. The same grape, harvested in
the same vintage, tastes completely different depending on what side of the river it is on. The properties with
which I work are consumed with making “true” wines, wines which are true to where they come from, true to the
earth, and true to the winemaker’s obsession with quality. The wines are harvested by hand and the grapes are
grown according to either organic or biodynamic practices. Many of the properties are certified organic or biodynamic.
All are leaders in their appellations and harvest lower yields than their neighbors to ensure a premium product.
Above anything else, they are farmers, and they understand that wine is made in the vineyard, not the winery.
In selecting properties for the portfolio, I seek purity first, eschewing heavy-handed usage of oak and opting instead
for wines of excellent ripeness, minerality, and above all, balance. The presence of balanced acidity is absolutely
crucial in my view to world-class wine, and I’m not afraid to represent wines that have startling acidity if
there is fruit to support it.” ~Jon-David Headrick
Cream Wine Company | 118 N. Peoria Street Chicago IL 60607 | Tel 312 421 1900 | Fax 312 421 1977 | service@creamwine.com